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DuBois hands Punxsy first loss of the season

DUBOIS — The DuBois Beavers ninth-grade football team took advantage of an early Punxsy turnover and a quick three-and-out on the Chucks' second drive to score twice in the first four minutes of the game, and the Beavers' defense pitched a shutout as DuBois went on to win 54-0.

After receiving the opening kickoff, Punxsy started its first drive at its own 35-yard line, but fumbled on the first play, and DuBois took over at the 24.

DuBois running back Devin Clark opened the game for the Beavers with a 14-yard run for a first down.

The Chucks held quarterback Bryson Paulinellie to a five-yard gain on first down, and forced a third-and-five after Andy Fedigan broke up a DuBois pass attempt.

Paulinellie bounced back with a 10-yard touchdown run on third down, though, and the Beavers were quickly ahead 7-0 after the extra point was kicked through by Elijah Lockwood.

Punxsy started its next drive with good field position at its own 45-yard line after an onside kick attempt by the Beavers, but a five-yard false start penalty on first down and a sack by DuBois' Ian Hine left the Chucks deeper in their own territory and forced them to punt.

Hine stepped up for the Beavers again on the first play of the ensuing drive, scampering 48 yards before being drug down at the Punxsy five.

Clark punched it in on the next play, but Lockwood missed the extra point, leaving the score at 13-0.

DuBois attempted another onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, and Punxsy pounced on it for another short field. Unfortunately for the Chucks, DuBois' swarming defense forced another three-and-out.

The Chucks went for it on fourth down, but were stopped short of the sticks for a turnover on downs.

Punxsy's defense answered the bell and came out swinging, forcing a three-and-out of its own to earn the ball back for the Chucks.

Another fumble plagued Punxsy's next drive, though, when quarterback Dakota Thomas lost the handle on the ball. Punxsy's Luke Shiock recovered the loose ball, but Punxsy lost 15 yards on the play and was forced to punt again two plays later.

On DuBois' first drive of the second quarter, Punxsy kept itself in the game when the defense recovered a fumble by Clark after what would have been a first-down run.

Punxsy gained no ground on its drive, though, and the snap to the punter was muffed, giving DuBois a short field to work with.

On the seventh play of the drive — a third-and-10 — Clark ran for a 31-yard touchdown to give the Beavers some breathing room.

DuBois converted on a fake extra point attempt, as Paulinellie passed for the two-point conversion giving DuBois a 21-0 lead.

On DuBois' next drive, the Beavers notched another score when Chad O'Donnell ran in a 32-yard touchdown. A failed extra point set the score at 27-0.

Punxsy's best drive of the night came next, highlighted by a 37-yard run by Perry Arrington to the Beavers' eight.

Two plays later, though, Thomas dropped back to pass and was hit as he prepared to throw. The ball popped loose, and the Beavers picked it up and ran 88 yards for another score.

The scoreboard read 33-0 at halftime, and although the Chucks came out fighting in the second half, their perfect record ended up tarnished. Punxsy is now 3-1 on the season.

DuBois added three more scores in the second half — an 18-yard run by Clark, an 85-yard score by Paulinellie and a 33-yarder by D.J. Carney — to push the score to 54-0.

Punxsy coach Mike Dickey said after the game that the Chucks were simply outplayed in every facet of the game, but highlighted DuBois' running game as a key to the Beavers' success — as they rushed for over 350 yards.

"They had a few good backs, and we missed some tackles," he said. "That's not a good combination."

Punxsy travels to A-C Valley next Thursday, where the Chucks hope to get back to their winning ways.